Wisconsin AHGP
City Of New London
The City of New London is located on Sections 1, 12, and 13, of the Town of Mukwa, and also on a contiguous portion of Outagamie County. Like many Western towns, its growth from an insignificant hamlet to an important city has been truly phenomenal; and we cannot think that New London has seen its best days. Its natural and acquired advantages, its capital, its push, all will combine to save it from the fate of so many mushroom prodigies of the West.
In 1853 Ira Millerd started the first store within the present limits of New London. In 1856 the first post office was established, with William McMillen as postmaster.
The first frame house was erected by Ira Brown in 1851.
The first child born was Elwood Lutsey, in 1851.
The first land claims made within the city limits were by Holcomb, Edwards, and Lutsey, in 1851. In 1853 George Lutsey kept the first hotel.
The first newspaper was published in 1857 by A. J. Lawson. It was the New London Times. In 1869 John Ogden established the present Times.
City Organization
The first city officers, elected in 1877, were as follows:
| Mayor, J. C. Hoxie Aldermen, First Ward, August Kappernick Second Ward, James Hopperton Third Ward, Theodore Knapstein Fourth Ward, I. M. Deming Clerk, C. M. Taylor Justices of the Peace, Y. Mischock, W. H. Walker, J. W. Bishop, C. Berely Chief of Police, J. Murray Treasurer, A. H. Pape |
New London has 36 stores, 3 saw mills, 1 excelsior mill, 1 furniture factory, 1 planing mill, 1 grist mill, 2 breweries, 1 bottling works, 4 wagon works, 1 bee-hive factory, 1 grain elevator, 1 hay pressing establishment, 1 bank, 5 hotels, 6 churches, a good high school and ward and parochial schools, and 1 newspaper.
The professions, of course, are well represented.
City Officers for 1890
| Mayor, R. S. Johnson Aldermen, John Jagoditsh, August Plath, Henry Knapstein, E. H. Ramm, H. K. Jillson. City Clerk, C. E. Dickinson Treasurer, John Dengel Chief of Police, Charles Taggert City Attorney, L. S. Porter Assessor, George Freiberger Supervisors; Fred Radkey, A. W. Jillson, B. Miller, B. A. Weatherby, I. M. Deming. |
New London is in the midst of an excellent farming district, at the head of navigation on the Wolf River, and at the junction of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western, and the Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul railroads. It has resources and facilities for making it one of the best markets for farmers in Northern Wisconsin, and of late years has been coming rapidly to the front as an available point for manufacturing. The city has a population of 2,130, according to the census of 1890.
The First School
We have been permitted to copy a well written paper, giving an account of the first school taught in New London. It is from the pen of Mrs. C. L. Allen, formerly Miss Maria Millerd, and first read before the Old Settlers' Society, of New London:
In the year 1852 we arrived at the Village of New London, known as 'the Mouth of the Embarrass.' The village consisted of two families, and in order to draw school money for the ensuing year we were obliged to have three months school before a stated time. I was chosen teacher, being the only young lady in town who could devote time to the undertaking.
The next thing to be considered was the certificate. Being quite young, still in the period of short dresses, I looked forward to the examination with fear and trembling. In those days teachers were placed under the supervision of Town Superintendents.
The Superintendent came on Sunday. The much dreaded examination consisted of the questions, 'Where are the Straits of Behring?' and 'How far have you been in arithmetic?' Grammar and all other studies were omitted, I suppose for the sake of brevity. He asked me to give him a sample of my penmanship. I wrote 'Sabbath morning,' leaving out one of the b's in the first word, for the same reason, we will premise, that he left out the other studies. "The school began the next week, it being then the spring of 1853. One of my dresses had in the meantime been lengthened, to add dignity to my youthful appearance.
Our own house was 16 x 22 feet, the front part being occupied as a store, while in the other we lived and kept hotel. As there was no room in which to keep the school, we organized it upon the stairs, and kept it there until the weather became warmer, when we migrated to the doorstep.
On the bank of the river stood a double log house. Part of it had been used for a warehouse, and the other part for a stable. As the weather became warmer, it was found necessary to provide a school room for us; so we 'birds of passage' flitted to the old warehouse, which was then obliged to do double duty, for the boat often came in during school hours.
The other half of the building was still used as a stable, and, as the flies were very thick, the oxen were kept there through the day. With their lowing and stamping, the unloading of freight, and the occasional visit of an Indian, our school was not a model of order.
Within an enclosure near the school room was kept an old muley cow, which went crazy at the sight of an Indian. To go and quiet her was one of my duties whenever a noble red man put in an appearance.
There were seven pupils enrolled, but the average attendance was about two and one-half. One of them in particular I was never sure of. He was always there at roll call, but when it came time for him to read he was generally missing. Being extremely hard to catch, he usually went without instruction in that branch.
At the end of the year I received $10, which I invested in real estate that eventually brought me $200. I shall leave others to say whether value was received for service rendered."
Source: History of Waupaca County, Wisconsin, by J. Wakefield, Waupaca, Wisconsin, 1890
